Called the Cisco Container Platform, the system gives partners a clear path into lucrative application lifecycle management and other services sold on a recurring revenue basis, and as the platform expands, those opportunities will only grow, executives said.

The cloud-focused MSP is giving customers a view of the health of their systems, as well as a customized single sign-on service, that helps them avoid security and operational failures, CTO Jason McKay tells CRN.

Microsoft unveiled a significant price cut to its Azure Standard support and also shortened its response time for critical cases, which could help the cloud giant better battle for business customers with the likes of AWS and Google.

Peak 10+ViaWest, now known as Flexential, was already a strong Tier 2 cloud provider, but is even more confident it can take on the competition following its rebranding and integration, the company's CEO told CRN.